Hat-press.



PATENTEDAUG. 28, 1906.

H. s. BLAKE. HAT PRESS. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 18, 1905.

1 WW w AiI V/V/f M/ w i W 9% a ad w INVENTOH fil'j' ZaJce By Arm/NE rsW/TNESSES:

HERBERT SLOGOMB BLAKE, OF MIDDLETOWN, NEW YORK.

HAT-PRESS- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 28, 1906.

Application filed November 18, 1905. Serial No. 288,088.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT SLOGOMB BLAKE, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Middletown, in the county of Orange and Stateof New York, have invented a new and Improved Hat-Press, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in machines for pressing andfinishing straw and other hats. It is especially designed for use onthat type of hat-press in which one of the dies is provided with anelastic casing which is expanded within the hat during the pressingoperation for the purpose of insuring that the pressure is applied toall parts of the crown.

The principal object of the invention is to provide means whereby thedie which has the elastic casing can be forced against the companion diewith the requisite pressure and simultaneously with the application ofpressure to the interior of the casing.

Machines of this character have usually been so constructed that themetal die is brought into close proximity to the die having the elasticcasing, and then the pressure s applied by forcing the metal die againstthe other while the fluid is forced into the hollow casing.

My present invention contemplates the movement of the solid die, ifdesired, into a proper position for commencing the pressing operation;but the compression itself is obtained by simultaneously expanding thecasing and forcing the die which holds it against the other die.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in both views.

Figure 1 is a central vertical sectional view of a portion of ahat-machine, showing my present improvements, and Fig. 2 is a plan ofone of the elements thereof.

I have shown the device applied to that type of machine in which theupper die is a solid one and is designed to -move toward and from theother die in order to bring the parts 'n proper position for operationand for the removal of the hats; but it is to be understood that itcould be applied to that type of machine in which the upper die ismounted in a stationary position.

A heater is shown as provided with an inner metal die 11 of the usualconstruction and with a lever 12 for moving it up and down. Below thisdie is mounted a stationary plate 13, on which is supported a secondplate 14. This plate is provided with two series of grooves 15 and 16upon its upper surface. The grooves 15 are preferably circular in form,and the grooves 16 are radial, whereby they cross each other. This plateis provided with a perforation 17 for a purpose to be described, thisperforation intersecting with one or more of the abovementioned grooves.The plate 14 is provided with two concentric projections 18, whichinclose the entire system of grooves. Above this plate and resting onthe upper surfaces of these projections is an elasticdiaphragm 19,preferably formed of india-rubber or a similar compound. This diaphragmis circular in form and is held upon the projections at its edges bymeans of a pair of rings 20 and 21 these rings being circular in formand secured to the plate 14 by bolts 22 or the like. The ring 21, whichis on the outside, is provided with a circular inwardly-extending flange23.

Located upon the diaphragm 19 is a circular plate 24, constituting apiston. This plate extends to within a short distance .of the innersurface of the outer ring 21, and the flange 23 constitutes a stop forpreventing the piston from rising above a certain point. The piston hasa circular projection 25, and on this projection rests a brim-plate 26.Connected with this plate by means of bolts 27 is a base-plate 28, andabove this base-plate is mounted a metallic core 29, such as is usuallyemployed in machines of this character. This core rests on a ring 30 onthe plate 28, the upper surface of the ring having indentations I forermitting air to escape between it and an e astic casing 31, whichsurrounds it. This casing is fixed to the plate 26 and hasoutwardly-turned flanges 31 clamped between 26 and 28. Air passingthrough the indentations into the ring 30 enters the space between thecasing and the core 29, thereby expanding the casing. Mounted on theplate 26 is a rubber or-metal plate 32, which may be connected with thecasing 31. It constitutes means for engaging and pressin the brim of thehat, the main part of the e astic casing being designed to enter thecrown.

Whether the die 10 is stationary or movable is not material in thisinvention, as it has between these two pipes, and it is connected withthe pipe 34 by means of a reducingvalve 36. Asupply-pipe 37 is incommunication withthe connection, and a three-way 'valve 38 is provided,so that the fluid introduced into the two receptacles can be readilywithdrawn therefrom. The function of the reducing-valve is to enable thecrown and brim. pressure to be equalized. The pressure on the piston 24is applied upon a large area relative to that of the top of the casing31, and it is obviously not desirable to locate the connections in sucha manner that any pressure will be taken off the crown of the hat andapplied to the brim.

The operation of the device is very simple and will be readilyunderstood. The hat being placed'upon the casing 31 with the brimextending out on the flange'32 and the two dies placed in a convenientosition relative to each other, the lower ie receives the larger, andwhen the'surfaces are in contact water or other fluid from thesupply-pipe 37 is supplied simultaneously to the pipes 33 and 34. Thewater enters the space between the core 29 and the casing 31, as hasbeen described, and it also'enters the several grooves on the plate 18at a compensating pressure. This causes the casing to expand and thepiston 24 to rise. Pressure is therefore applied against the die 10 asif the latter were stationary and entirely by the movement of the lowerdie and the expansion of the casing. This movement is obviously small.It will be understood, however, that the most efficient operation of thedevice can be obtained in this manner and that the manipulationsnecessary to produce a hat are decreased, the pressure and connectionswhichhave to be present in order to use the expansible casing for theinterior of the crown being not materially increased by the use of theapparatus for raising the die and applying pressure. When the hat hasbeen pressed, the fluid can be readily exhausted by turning the valvesin such a manner as to allow it to escape through the ends of theconnection 35.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters 'Patent 1. A hat-press comprising a stationary plate, achambered plate supported by said stationary plate, a piston in thechamber of the chambered plate, an elastic diaphragm on which the pistonis mounted, a'hat-die supported by said piston, said chambered. platehaving a wall provided with grooves, and means for introducing a fluidinto said grooves.

2. A hat-press comprising a stationary plate, a chambered platesupported by said first-named. plate, a piston in the chamber, anelastic diaphragm on which the piston is mounted, a hat-die supported bysaid piston and having an elastic casing, and means for simultaneouslyintroducing a pressure agent into said casing and into said chamber,below the piston.

3. A hat-press comprising a stationary plate, a chamberedplate'supported. by said stationary plate, a piston in the chamber, anelastic diaphragm on which the iston is mounted, a hat-die supported bysaid piston, and having an elastic casing, and means for simultaneouslyintroducing a pressure agent into said casing and into said chamberunder the piston, said means comprisinga pipe underneath the chamber, apipe underneath the die, a connection between the pipes, and areducing-valve between the first-named pipe and the connection.

4. A hat-press comprising a plate provided. with a chamber and twoconcentric projections constituting walls of said chamber, an elasticdiaphragm resting on the tops of said projections, and a pair of ringslocated on the diaphragm and secured to said projections.

5. "A hat-press comprising a plate provided with a chamber and twoconcentric projections constituting walls of said chamber, an elasticdiaphragm resting on the tops of said projections, and a pair ofringslocated on the diaphragm and secured to said projections, one ofsaid rings being provided with a flange projecting toward the interiorof saidchamber, a piston resting on said diaphragm and adapted to engagesaid flange, and a hat-die supported by said piston.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

HERBERT SLOCOMB BLAKE.

WVitnesses: JNo. M. BITTER, i; ALBERT E. FAY.

